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Lee R, Kim G, Kim S. Co-activation of selective nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subtypes is required to reverse hippocampal network dysfunction and prevent fear memory loss in Alzheimer's disease. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.07.08.602576. [PMID: 39026693 PMCID: PMC11257460 DOI: 10.1101/2024.07.08.602576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/20/2024]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia with no known cause and cure. Research suggests that a reduction of GABAergic inhibitory interneurons' activity in the hippocampus by beta-amyloid peptide (Aβ) is a crucial trigger for cognitive impairment in AD via hyperexcitability. Therefore, enhancing hippocampal inhibition is thought to be protective against AD. However, hippocampal inhibitory cells are highly diverse, and these distinct interneuron subtypes differentially regulate hippocampal inhibitory circuits and cognitive processes. Moreover, Aβ unlikely affects all subtypes of inhibitory interneurons in the hippocampus equally. Hence, identifying the affected interneuron subtypes in AD to enhance hippocampal inhibition optimally is conceptually and practically challenging. We have previously found that Aβ selectively binds to two of the three major hippocampal nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) subtypes, α7- and α4β2-nAChRs, but not α3β4-nAChRs, and inhibits these two receptors in cultured hippocampal inhibitory interneurons to decrease their activity, leading to hyperexcitation and synaptic dysfunction in excitatory neurons. We have also revealed that co-activation of α7- and α4β2-nAChRs is required to reverse the Aβ-induced adverse effects in hippocampal excitatory neurons. Here, we discover that α7- and α4β2-nAChRs predominantly control the nicotinic cholinergic signaling and neuronal activity in hippocampal parvalbumin-positive (PV+) and somatostatin-positive (SST+) inhibitory interneurons, respectively. Furthermore, we reveal that co-activation of these receptors is necessary to reverse hippocampal network dysfunction and fear memory loss in the amyloid pathology model mice. We thus suggest that co-activation of PV+ and SST+ cells is a novel strategy to reverse hippocampal dysfunction and cognitive decline in AD.
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2
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Sanda P, Hlinka J, van den Berg M, Skoch A, Bazhenov M, Keliris GA, Krishnan GP. Cholinergic modulation supports dynamic switching of resting state networks through selective DMN suppression. PLoS Comput Biol 2024; 20:e1012099. [PMID: 38843298 PMCID: PMC11185486 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1012099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2023] [Revised: 06/18/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 06/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Brain activity during the resting state is widely used to examine brain organization, cognition and alterations in disease states. While it is known that neuromodulation and the state of alertness impact resting-state activity, neural mechanisms behind such modulation of resting-state activity are unknown. In this work, we used a computational model to demonstrate that change in excitability and recurrent connections, due to cholinergic modulation, impacts resting-state activity. The results of such modulation in the model match closely with experimental work on direct cholinergic modulation of Default Mode Network (DMN) in rodents. We further extended our study to the human connectome derived from diffusion-weighted MRI. In human resting-state simulations, an increase in cholinergic input resulted in a brain-wide reduction of functional connectivity. Furthermore, selective cholinergic modulation of DMN closely captured experimentally observed transitions between the baseline resting state and states with suppressed DMN fluctuations associated with attention to external tasks. Our study thus provides insight into potential neural mechanisms for the effects of cholinergic neuromodulation on resting-state activity and its dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pavel Sanda
- Institute of Computer Science of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Jaroslav Hlinka
- Institute of Computer Science of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
- National Institute of Mental Health, Klecany, Czech Republic
| | - Monica van den Berg
- Bio-Imaging Lab, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
- μNEURO Research Centre of Excellence, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Antonin Skoch
- National Institute of Mental Health, Klecany, Czech Republic
- MR Unit, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Maxim Bazhenov
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - Georgios A. Keliris
- Bio-Imaging Lab, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
- Institute of Computer Science, Foundation for Research and Technology - Hellas, Heraklion, Crete, Greece
| | - Giri P. Krishnan
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America
- Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
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3
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Chakraborty S, Lee SK, Arnold SM, Haast RAM, Khan AR, Schmitz TW. Focal acetylcholinergic modulation of the human midcingulo-insular network during attention: Meta-analytic neuroimaging and behavioral evidence. J Neurochem 2024; 168:397-413. [PMID: 37864501 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.15990] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2023] [Revised: 09/18/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/23/2023]
Abstract
The basal forebrain cholinergic neurons provide acetylcholine to the cortex via large projections. Recent molecular imaging work in humans indicates that the cortical cholinergic innervation is not uniformly distributed, but rather may disproportionately innervate cortical areas relevant to supervisory attention. In this study, we therefore reexamined the spatial relationship between acetylcholinergic modulation and attention in the human cortex using meta-analytic strategies targeting both pharmacological and non-pharmacological neuroimaging studies. We found that pharmaco-modulation of acetylcholine evoked both increased activity in the anterior cingulate and decreased activity in the opercular and insular cortex. In large independent meta-analyses of non-pharmacological neuroimaging research, we demonstrate that during attentional engagement these cortical areas exhibit (1) task-related co-activation with the basal forebrain, (2) task-related co-activation with one another, and (3) spatial overlap with dense cholinergic innervations originating from the basal forebrain, as estimated by multimodal positron emission tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. Finally, we provide meta-analytic evidence that pharmaco-modulation of acetylcholine also induces a speeding of responses to targets with no apparent tradeoff in accuracy. In sum, we demonstrate in humans that acetylcholinergic modulation of midcingulo-insular hubs of the ventral attention/salience network via basal forebrain afferents may coordinate selection of task relevant information, thereby facilitating cognition and behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sudesna Chakraborty
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
- Robarts Research Institute, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
- Western Institute for Neuroscience, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Sun Kyun Lee
- Western Institute for Neuroscience, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
- Faculty of Dentistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Sarah M Arnold
- Western Institute for Neuroscience, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Chemical Engineering, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Roy A M Haast
- Western Institute for Neuroscience, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
- CRMBM, CNRS UMR 7339, Aix-Marseille University, Marseille, France
| | - Ali R Khan
- Department of Medical Biophysics, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
- Robarts Research Institute, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
- Western Institute for Neuroscience, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Taylor W Schmitz
- Robarts Research Institute, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
- Western Institute for Neuroscience, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
- Lawson Health Research Institute, London, Ontario, Canada
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4
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Mahrach A, Bestue D, Qi XL, Constantinidis C, Compte A. Cholinergic neuromodulation of prefrontal attractor dynamics controls performance in spatial working memory. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.17.576071. [PMID: 38293215 PMCID: PMC10827212 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.17.576071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
The behavioral and neural effects of the endogenous release of acetylcholine following stimulation of the Nucleus Basalis of Meynert (NB) have been recently examined (Qi et al. 2021). Counterintuitively, NB stimulation enhanced behavioral performance while broadening neural tuning in the prefrontal cortex (PFC). The mechanism by which a weaker mnemonic neural code could lead to better performance remains unclear. Here, we show that increased neural excitability in a simple continuous bump attractor model can induce broader neural tuning and decrease bump diffusion, provided neural rates are saturated. Increased memory precision in the model overrides memory accuracy, improving overall task performance. Moreover, we show that bump attractor dynamics can account for the nonuniform impact of neuromodulation on distractibility, depending on distractor distance from the target. Finally, we delve into the conditions under which bump attractor tuning and diffusion balance in biologically plausible heterogeneous network models. In these discrete bump attractor networks, we show that reducing spatial correlations or enhancing excitatory transmission can improve memory precision. Altogether, we provide a mechanistic understanding of how cholinergic neuromodulation controls spatial working memory through perturbed attractor dynamics in PFC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandre Mahrach
- Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), 08036 Barcelona, Spain
| | - David Bestue
- Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), 08036 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Xue-Lian Qi
- Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston Salem, NC 27157, USA
| | | | - Albert Compte
- Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), 08036 Barcelona, Spain
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5
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Bava JM, Wang Z, Bick SK, Englot DJ, Constantinidis C. Improving Visual Working Memory with Cholinergic Deep Brain Stimulation. Brain Sci 2023; 13:917. [PMID: 37371395 PMCID: PMC10296349 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci13060917] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2023] [Revised: 05/30/2023] [Accepted: 05/31/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Acetylcholine is a critical modulatory neurotransmitter for cognitive function. Cholinergic drugs improve cognitive performance and enhance neuronal activity in the sensory and association cortices. An alternative means of improving cognitive function is through the use of deep brain stimulation. Prior animal studies have demonstrated that stimulation of the nucleus basalis of Meynert through DBS improves cognitive performance on a visual working memory task to the same degree as cholinesterase inhibitors. Additionally, unlike current pharmacological treatments for neurocognitive disorders, DBS does not lose efficacy over time and adverse effects are rare. These findings suggest that DBS may be a promising alternative for treating cognitive impairments in neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease. Thus, further research and human trials should be considered to assess the potential of DBS as a therapeutic treatment for these disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janki M. Bava
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA; (J.M.B.); (D.J.E.)
| | - Zhengyang Wang
- Neuroscience Program, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA;
| | - Sarah K. Bick
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA;
| | - Dario J. Englot
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA; (J.M.B.); (D.J.E.)
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA;
| | - Christos Constantinidis
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA; (J.M.B.); (D.J.E.)
- Neuroscience Program, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA;
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA;
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
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6
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Orlando IF, Shine JM, Robbins TW, Rowe JB, O'Callaghan C. Noradrenergic and cholinergic systems take centre stage in neuropsychiatric diseases of ageing. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 149:105167. [PMID: 37054802 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2022] [Revised: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 03/28/2023] [Indexed: 04/15/2023]
Abstract
Noradrenergic and cholinergic systems are among the most vulnerable brain systems in neuropsychiatric diseases of ageing, including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Lewy body dementia, and progressive supranuclear palsy. As these systems fail, they contribute directly to many of the characteristic cognitive and psychiatric symptoms. However, their contribution to symptoms is not sufficiently understood, and pharmacological interventions targeting noradrenergic and cholinergic systems have met with mixed success. Part of the challenge is the complex neurobiology of these systems, operating across multiple timescales, and with non-linear changes across the adult lifespan and disease course. We address these challenges in a detailed review of the noradrenergic and cholinergic systems, outlining their roles in cognition and behaviour, and how they influence neuropsychiatric symptoms in disease. By bridging across levels of analysis, we highlight opportunities for improving drug therapies and for pursuing personalised medicine strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabella F Orlando
- Brain and Mind Centre and School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Australia
| | - James M Shine
- Brain and Mind Centre and School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Australia
| | - Trevor W Robbins
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute and Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, CB2 3EB, United Kingdom
| | - James B Rowe
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences and Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Trust, University of Cambridge, CB2 0SZ, United Kingdom
| | - Claire O'Callaghan
- Brain and Mind Centre and School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Australia.
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7
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Hassani S, Neumann A, Russell J, Jones C, Womelsdorf T. M 1-selective muscarinic allosteric modulation enhances cognitive flexibility and effective salience in nonhuman primates. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2216792120. [PMID: 37104474 PMCID: PMC10161096 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2216792120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2022] [Accepted: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 04/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Acetylcholine (ACh) in cortical neural circuits mediates how selective attention is sustained in the presence of distractors and how flexible cognition adjusts to changing task demands. The cognitive domains of attention and cognitive flexibility might be differentially supported by the M1 muscarinic acetylcholine receptor (mAChR) subtype. Understanding how M1 mAChR mechanisms support these cognitive subdomains is of highest importance for advancing novel drug treatments for conditions with altered attention and reduced cognitive control including Alzheimer's disease or schizophrenia. Here, we tested this question by assessing how the subtype-selective M1 mAChR positive allosteric modulator (PAM) VU0453595 affects visual search and flexible reward learning in nonhuman primates. We found that allosteric potentiation of M1 mAChRs enhanced flexible learning performance by improving extradimensional set shifting, reducing latent inhibition from previously experienced distractors and reducing response perseveration in the absence of adverse side effects. These procognitive effects occurred in the absence of apparent changes of attentional performance during visual search. In contrast, nonselective ACh modulation using the acetylcholinesterase inhibitor (AChEI) donepezil improved attention during visual search at doses that did not alter cognitive flexibility and that already triggered gastrointestinal cholinergic side effects. These findings illustrate that M1 mAChR positive allosteric modulation enhances cognitive flexibility without affecting attentional filtering of distraction, consistent with M1 activity boosting the effective salience of relevant over irrelevant objects specifically during learning. These results suggest that M1 PAMs are versatile compounds for enhancing cognitive flexibility in disorders spanning schizophrenia and Alzheimer's diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seyed A. Hassani
- Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN37240
| | - Adam Neumann
- Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN37240
| | - Jason Russell
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN37240
- Warren Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN37240
| | - Carrie K. Jones
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN37240
- Warren Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN37240
| | - Thilo Womelsdorf
- Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN37240
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN37240
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8
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McCutcheon RA, Keefe RSE, McGuire PK. Cognitive impairment in schizophrenia: aetiology, pathophysiology, and treatment. Mol Psychiatry 2023; 28:1902-1918. [PMID: 36690793 PMCID: PMC10575791 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-023-01949-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 103] [Impact Index Per Article: 103.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2022] [Revised: 01/03/2023] [Accepted: 01/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Cognitive deficits are a core feature of schizophrenia, account for much of the impaired functioning associated with the disorder and are not responsive to existing treatments. In this review, we first describe the clinical presentation and natural history of these deficits. We then consider aetiological factors, highlighting how a range of similar genetic and environmental factors are associated with both cognitive function and schizophrenia. We then review the pathophysiological mechanisms thought to underlie cognitive symptoms, including the role of dopamine, cholinergic signalling and the balance between GABAergic interneurons and glutamatergic pyramidal cells. Finally, we review the clinical management of cognitive impairments and candidate novel treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert A McCutcheon
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, London, UK.
- Oxford health NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford health NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK.
| | - Richard S E Keefe
- Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Philip K McGuire
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Oxford health NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford health NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK
- NIHR Oxford Health Biomedical Research Centre, Oxford, UK
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9
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Dean B, Bakker G, Ueda HR, Tobin AB, Brown A, Kanaan RAA. A growing understanding of the role of muscarinic receptors in the molecular pathology and treatment of schizophrenia. Front Cell Neurosci 2023; 17:1124333. [PMID: 36909280 PMCID: PMC9992992 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2023.1124333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2022] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Pre-clinical models, postmortem and neuroimaging studies all support a role for muscarinic receptors in the molecular pathology of schizophrenia. From these data it was proposed that activation of the muscarinic M1 and/or M4 receptor would reduce the severity of the symptoms of schizophrenia. This hypothesis is now supported by results from two clinical trials which indicate that activating central muscarinic M1 and M4 receptors can reduce the severity of positive, negative and cognitive symptoms of the disorder. This review will provide an update on a growing body of evidence that argues the muscarinic M1 and M4 receptors have critical roles in CNS functions that are dysregulated by the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. This realization has been made possible, in part, by the growing ability to visualize and quantify muscarinic M1 and M4 receptors in the human CNS using molecular neuroimaging. We will discuss how these advances have provided evidence to support the notion that there is a sub-group of patients within the syndrome of schizophrenia that have a unique molecular pathology driven by a marked loss of muscarinic M1 receptors. This review is timely, as drugs targeting muscarinic receptors approach clinical use for the treatment of schizophrenia and here we outline the background biology that supported development of such drugs to treat the disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian Dean
- Synaptic Biology and Cognition Laboratory, The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | | | - Hiroki R Ueda
- Department of Systems Pharmacology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.,Laboratory for Synthetic Biology, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Osaka, Japan
| | - Andrew B Tobin
- Advanced Research Centre (ARC), School of Molecular Bioscience, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | | | - Richard A A Kanaan
- Department of Psychiatry, Austin Health, The University of Melbourne, Heidelberg, VIC, Australia
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10
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Hassani SA, Lendor S, Neumann A, Sinha Roy K, Banaie Boroujeni K, Hoffman KL, Pawliszyn J, Womelsdorf T. Dose-Dependent Dissociation of Pro-cognitive Effects of Donepezil on Attention and Cognitive Flexibility in Rhesus Monkeys. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY GLOBAL OPEN SCIENCE 2023; 3:68-77. [PMID: 36712561 PMCID: PMC9874073 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsgos.2021.11.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2021] [Revised: 11/16/2021] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Donepezil exerts pro-cognitive effects by nonselectively enhancing acetylcholine (ACh) across multiple brain systems. Two brain systems that mediate pro-cognitive effects of attentional control and cognitive flexibility are the prefrontal cortex and the anterior striatum, which have different pharmacokinetic sensitivities to ACh modulation. We speculated that these area-specific ACh profiles lead to distinct optimal dose ranges for donepezil to enhance the cognitive domains of attention and flexible learning. Methods To test for dose-specific effects of donepezil on different cognitive domains, we devised a multitask paradigm for nonhuman primates that assessed attention and cognitive flexibility. The nonhuman primates received either vehicle or variable doses of donepezil before task performance. We measured intracerebral donepezil and its strength in preventing the breakdown of ACh within the prefrontal cortex and anterior striatum using solid phase microextraction neurochemistry. Results The highest administered donepezil dose improved attention and made the subjects more robust against distractor interference, but it did not improve flexible learning. In contrast, only a lower dose range of donepezil improved flexible learning and reduced perseveration, but without distractor-dependent attentional improvement. Neurochemical measurements confirmed a dose-dependent increase of extracellular donepezil and decreases in choline within the prefrontal cortex and the striatum. Conclusions The donepezil dose for maximally improving attention differed from the dose range that enhanced cognitive flexibility despite the availability of the drug in two major brain systems supporting these functions. These results suggest that in our cohort of adult monkeys, donepezil traded improvements in attention for improvements in cognitive flexibility at a given dose range.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seyed A. Hassani
- Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Sofia Lendor
- Department of Chemistry, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
| | - Adam Neumann
- Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Kanchan Sinha Roy
- Department of Chemistry, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Kari L. Hoffman
- Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Janusz Pawliszyn
- Department of Chemistry, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
| | - Thilo Womelsdorf
- Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
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11
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Blokland A. Cholinergic models of memory impairment in animals and man: scopolamine vs. biperiden. Behav Pharmacol 2022; 33:231-237. [PMID: 35621168 DOI: 10.1097/fbp.0000000000000670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Scopolamine has been used as a pharmacologic model for cognitive impairments in dementia and Alzheimer's disease. The validity of this model seems to be limited because findings in animals do not readily translate to novel treatments in humans. Biperiden is also a cholinergic deficit model for cognitive impairments but specifically blocks muscarinic M1 receptors. The effects of scopolamine and biperiden (and pirenzepine) are compared in animal studies and related to findings in humans. It is concluded that the effects on cognitive functions are different for scopolamine and biperiden, and they should be considered as different cognitive deficit models. Scopolamine may model more advanced stages of Alzheimer's disease whereas biperiden may model the early deficits in declarative memory in aging and mild cognitive impairment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arjan Blokland
- Department of Neuropsychology and Psychopharmacology, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
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12
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Sarpal DK, Blazer A, Wilson JD, Calabro FJ, Foran W, Kahn CE, Luna B, Chengappa KNR. Relationship between plasma clozapine/N-desmethylclozapine and changes in basal forebrain-dorsolateral prefrontal cortex coupling in treatment-resistant schizophrenia. Schizophr Res 2022; 243:170-177. [PMID: 35381515 PMCID: PMC9189030 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2022.03.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2021] [Revised: 03/07/2022] [Accepted: 03/27/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Clozapine (CLZ) demonstrates a unique clinical efficacy relative to other antipsychotic drugs. Previous work has linked the plasma ratio of CLZ and its major metabolite, N-desmethylclozapine (NDMC), to an inverse relationship with cognition via putative action on the cholinergic system. However, neuroimaging correlates of CLZ/NDMC remain unknown. Here, we examined changes in basal forebrain functional connectivity with the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, and secondly, cognition in relation to the CLZ/NDMC ratio. A cohort of nineteen chronically ill participants with treatment-resistant schizophrenia (TRS) undergoing 12 weeks of CLZ treatment were included. Measures of cognition and plasma CLZ/NDMC ratios were obtained in addition to resting-state functional neuroimaging scans, captured at baseline and after 12 weeks of CLZ treatment. We observed a significant correlation between basal forebrain-DLPFC connectivity and CLZ/NDMC ratios across CLZ treatment (p = 0.02). Consistent with previous findings, we also demonstrate a positive relationship between CLZ/NDMC ratio and working memory (p = 0.03). These findings may reflect the action of CLZ and NDMC on the muscarinic cholinergic system, highlighting a possible neural correlate of cognition across treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deepak K. Sarpal
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Annie Blazer
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - James D. Wilson
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Finnegan J. Calabro
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA,Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - William Foran
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Charles E. Kahn
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Beatriz Luna
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA,Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA,Department of Pediatrics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - KN Roy Chengappa
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
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13
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Curcumin Suppresses Lead-Induced Inflammation and Memory Loss in Mouse Model and In Silico Molecular Docking. Foods 2022; 11:foods11060856. [PMID: 35327278 PMCID: PMC8954391 DOI: 10.3390/foods11060856] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2022] [Revised: 03/12/2022] [Accepted: 03/15/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
This study examined the efficacy of curcumin (Cur) against lead (Pb)-induced oxidative damage, inflammation, and cholinergic dysfunction. Institute for Cancer Research (ICR) mice received Pb (II) acetate in drinking water (1%) with or without Cur via oral gavage. Blood and brain tissues were collected for investigation. Pb increased the inflammatory markers and oxidative parameters, which were ameliorated by Cur administration. Cur treatment also improved memory loss, learning deficit, and cholinergic dysfunction via elevating acetylcholinesterase (AChE) enzymatic activity and protein expression. In silico molecular docking supported the results; Cur had a potent binding affinity for AChE receptors, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), phosphorylations of IκB kinase (IKK), extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38). According to the chemical absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity (ADMET) profile, Cur could serve as a potential candidate for Pb detoxication substance via exerting antioxidant activity. Taken together, our results suggest that Cur is a natural compound that could be used for the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders via suppressing lead-induced neurotoxicity.
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Acetylcholine deficiency disrupts extratelencephalic projection neurons in the prefrontal cortex in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease. Nat Commun 2022; 13:998. [PMID: 35194025 PMCID: PMC8863829 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-28493-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2021] [Accepted: 01/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Short-term memory deficits have been associated with prefrontal cortex (PFC) dysfunction in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and AD mouse models. Extratelencephalic projection (ET) neurons in the PFC play a key role in short-term working memory, but the mechanism between ET neuronal dysfunction in the PFC and short-term memory impairment in AD is not well understood. Here, using fiber photometry and optogenetics, we found reduced neural activity in the ET neurons in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) of the 5×FAD mouse model led to object recognition memory (ORM) deficits. Activation of ET neurons in the mPFC of 5×FAD mice rescued ORM impairment, and inhibition of ET neurons in the mPFC of wild type mice impaired ORM expression. ET neurons in the mPFC that project to supramammillary nucleus were necessary for ORM expression. Viral tracing and in vivo recording revealed that mPFC ET neurons received fewer cholinergic inputs from the basal forebrain in 5×FAD mice. Furthermore, activation of cholinergic fibers in the mPFC rescued ORM deficits in 5×FAD mice, while acetylcholine deficiency reduced the response of ET neurons in the mPFC to familiar objects. Taken together, our results revealed a neural mechanism behind ORM impairment in 5×FAD mice. Short-term memory deficits are associated with prefrontal cortex dysfunction in Alzheimer’s disease. Here, the authors assessed extratelencephalic projection (ET) neurons and found reduced ET neural activity in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and showed ET neurons received fewer cholinergic inputs from the basal forebrain in 5×FAD mice which led to object recognition memory deficits.
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15
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Tsolias A, Medalla M. Muscarinic Acetylcholine Receptor Localization on Distinct Excitatory and Inhibitory Neurons Within the ACC and LPFC of the Rhesus Monkey. Front Neural Circuits 2022; 15:795325. [PMID: 35087381 PMCID: PMC8786743 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2021.795325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2021] [Accepted: 12/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Acetylcholine (ACh) can act on pre- and post-synaptic muscarinic receptors (mAChR) in the cortex to influence a myriad of cognitive processes. Two functionally-distinct regions of the prefrontal cortex-the lateral prefrontal cortex (LPFC) and the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC)-are differentially innervated by ascending cholinergic pathways yet, the nature and organization of prefrontal-cholinergic circuitry in primates are not well understood. Using multi-channel immunohistochemical labeling and high-resolution microscopy, we found regional and laminar differences in the subcellular localization and the densities of excitatory and inhibitory subpopulations expressing m1 and m2 muscarinic receptors, the two predominant cortical mAChR subtypes, in the supragranular layers of LPFC and ACC in rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta). The subset of m1+/m2+ expressing SMI-32+ pyramidal neurons labeled in layer 3 (L3) was denser in LPFC than in ACC, while m1+/m2+ SMI-32+ neurons co-expressing the calcium-binding protein, calbindin (CB) was greater in ACC. Further, we found between-area differences in laminar m1+ dendritic expression, and m2+ presynaptic localization on cortico-cortical (VGLUT1+) and sub-cortical inputs (VGLUT2+), suggesting differential cholinergic modulation of top-down vs. bottom-up inputs in the two areas. While almost all inhibitory interneurons-identified by their expression of parvalbumin (PV+), CB+, and calretinin (CR+)-expressed m1+, the localization of m2+ differed by subtype and area. The ACC exhibited a greater proportion of m2+ inhibitory neurons compared to the LPFC and had a greater density of presynaptic m2+ localized on inhibitory (VGAT+) inputs targeting proximal somatodendritic compartments and axon initial segments of L3 pyramidal neurons. These data suggest a greater capacity for m2+-mediated cholinergic suppression of inhibition in the ACC compared to the LPFC. The anatomical localization of muscarinic receptors on ACC and LPFC micro-circuits shown here contributes to our understanding of diverse cholinergic neuromodulation of functionally-distinct prefrontal areas involved in goal-directed behavior, and how these interactions maybe disrupted in neuropsychiatric and neurological conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Tsolias
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Maria Medalla
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States
- Center for Systems Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States
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16
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Cools R, Arnsten AFT. Neuromodulation of prefrontal cortex cognitive function in primates: the powerful roles of monoamines and acetylcholine. Neuropsychopharmacology 2022; 47:309-328. [PMID: 34312496 PMCID: PMC8617291 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-021-01100-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2021] [Revised: 07/06/2021] [Accepted: 07/06/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The primate prefrontal cortex (PFC) subserves our highest order cognitive operations, and yet is tremendously dependent on a precise neurochemical environment for proper functioning. Depletion of noradrenaline and dopamine, or of acetylcholine from the dorsolateral PFC (dlPFC), is as devastating as removing the cortex itself, and serotonergic influences are also critical to proper functioning of the orbital and medial PFC. Most neuromodulators have a narrow inverted U dose response, which coordinates arousal state with cognitive state, and contributes to cognitive deficits with fatigue or uncontrollable stress. Studies in monkeys have revealed the molecular signaling mechanisms that govern the generation and modulation of mental representations by the dlPFC, allowing dynamic regulation of network strength, a process that requires tight regulation to prevent toxic actions, e.g., as occurs with advanced age. Brain imaging studies in humans have observed drug and genotype influences on a range of cognitive tasks and on PFC circuit functional connectivity, e.g., showing that catecholamines stabilize representations in a baseline-dependent manner. Research in monkeys has already led to new treatments for cognitive disorders in humans, encouraging future research in this important field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roshan Cools
- Department of Psychiatry, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Amy F T Arnsten
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.
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17
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Abstract
During evolution, the cerebral cortex advances by increasing in surface and the introduction of new cytoarchitectonic areas among which the prefrontal cortex (PFC) is considered to be the substrate of highest cognitive functions. Although neurons of the PFC are generated before birth, the differentiation of its neurons and development of synaptic connections in humans extend to the 3rd decade of life. During this period, synapses as well as neurotransmitter systems including their receptors and transporters, are initially overproduced followed by selective elimination. Advanced methods applied to human and animal models, enable investigation of the cellular mechanisms and role of specific genes, non-coding regulatory elements and signaling molecules in control of prefrontal neuronal production and phenotypic fate, as well as neuronal migration to establish layering of the PFC. Likewise, various genetic approaches in combination with functional assays and immunohistochemical and imaging methods reveal roles of neurotransmitter systems during maturation of the PFC. Disruption, or even a slight slowing of the rate of neuronal production, migration and synaptogenesis by genetic or environmental factors, can induce gross as well as subtle changes that eventually can lead to cognitive impairment. An understanding of the development and evolution of the PFC provide insight into the pathogenesis and treatment of congenital neuropsychiatric diseases as well as idiopathic developmental disorders that cause intellectual disabilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharon M Kolk
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour and Faculty of Science, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
| | - Pasko Rakic
- Department of Neuroscience and Kavli Institute for Neuroscience, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA.
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18
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OUP accepted manuscript. Brain 2022; 145:2250-2275. [DOI: 10.1093/brain/awac096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2021] [Revised: 01/21/2022] [Accepted: 01/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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19
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Abd-Elrahman KS, Sarasija S, Colson TLL, Ferguson SSG. A M1 muscarinic acetylcholine receptor positive allosteric modulator improves pathology and cognitive deficits in female APPswe/PSEN1ΔE9 mice. Br J Pharmacol 2021; 179:1769-1783. [PMID: 34820835 DOI: 10.1111/bph.15750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2021] [Revised: 11/09/2021] [Accepted: 11/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by progressive cognitive decline and women account for 60% of diagnosed cases. Beta-amyloid (Aβ) oligomers is considered the principal neurotoxic species in AD brains. The M1 muscarinic acetylcholine receptor (M1 mAChR) plays a key role in memory and learning. M1 mAChR agonists show pro-cognitive activity but cause many adverse off-target effects. A new orally bioavailable M1 mAChR positive allosteric modulator (PAM), VU0486846, is devoid of direct agonist activity or adverse effects but was not tested for disease-modifying efficacy in female AD mice. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH Nine-month-old female APPswe/PSEN1ΔE9 (APPswe) and wildtype mice were treated with VU0486846 in drinking water (10mg/kg/day) for 4 or 8 weeks. Cognitive function of mice was assessed after treatment and brains were harvested for biochemical and immunohistochemical assessment. KEY RESULTS VU0486846 improved cognitive function of APPswe mice when tested in novel object recognition and Morris water maze. This was paralleled by a significant reduction in Aβ oligomers and plaques and neuronal loss in hippocampus. VU0486846 reduced Aβ oligomer production in APPswe mice by increasing M1 mAChR expression and shifting the processing of amyloid precursor protein from amyloidogenic cleavage to non-amyloidogenic cleavage. Specifically, VU0486846 reduced the expression of β-secretase 1 (BACE1), whereas it enhanced the expression of the α-secretase ADAM10 in APPswe hippocampus. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS Using M1 mAChR PAMs can be a viable disease-modifying approach that should be exploited clinically to slow AD in women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khaled S Abd-Elrahman
- University of Ottawa Brain and Mind Research Institute, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.,Departments of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt
| | - Shaarika Sarasija
- University of Ottawa Brain and Mind Research Institute, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.,Departments of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Tash-Lynn L Colson
- University of Ottawa Brain and Mind Research Institute, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.,Departments of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Stephen S G Ferguson
- University of Ottawa Brain and Mind Research Institute, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.,Departments of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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20
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Upright NA, Baxter MG. Prefrontal cortex and cognitive aging in macaque monkeys. Am J Primatol 2021; 83:e23250. [PMID: 33687098 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2020] [Revised: 02/17/2021] [Accepted: 02/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Cognitive impairments that accompany aging, even in the absence of neurodegenerative diseases, include deficits in executive function and memory mediated by the prefrontal cortex. Because of the unique differentiation and expansion of the prefrontal cortex in primates, investigations of the neurobiological basis of cognitive aging in nonhuman primates have been particularly informative about the potential basis for age-related cognitive decline in humans. We review the cognitive functions mediated by specific subregions of prefrontal cortex, and their corresponding connections, as well as the evidence for age-related alterations in specific regions of prefrontal cortex. We also discuss evidence for similarities and differences in the effects of aging on prefrontal cortex across species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas A Upright
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Mark G Baxter
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
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21
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Qi XL, Liu R, Singh B, Bestue D, Compte A, Vazdarjanova AI, Blake DT, Constantinidis C. Nucleus basalis stimulation enhances working memory by stabilizing stimulus representations in primate prefrontal cortical activity. Cell Rep 2021; 36:109469. [PMID: 34348147 PMCID: PMC8385230 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2019] [Revised: 06/11/2021] [Accepted: 07/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Acetylcholine plays a critical role in the neocortex. Cholinergic agonists and acetylcholinesterase inhibitors can enhance cognitive functioning, as does intermittent electrical stimulation of the cortical source of acetylcholine, the nucleus basalis (NB) of Meynert. Here we show in two male monkeys how NB stimulation affects working memory and alters its neural code. NB stimulation increases dorsolateral prefrontal activity during the delay period of spatial working memory tasks and broadens selectivity for stimuli but does not strengthen phasic responses to each neuron's optimal visual stimulus. Paradoxically, despite this decrease in neuronal selectivity, performance improves in many task conditions, likely indicating increased delay period stability. Performance under NB stimulation does decline if distractors similar to the target are presented, consistent with reduced prefrontal selectivity. Our results indicate that stimulation of the cholinergic forebrain increases prefrontal neural activity, and this neuromodulatory tone can improve cognitive performance, subject to a stability-accuracy tradeoff.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue-Lian Qi
- Department of Neurobiology & Anatomy, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA
| | - Ruifeng Liu
- Department of Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA; State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Balbir Singh
- Department of Neurobiology & Anatomy, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
| | - David Bestue
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Albert Compte
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Almira I Vazdarjanova
- Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center, Augusta, GA, USA; Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, MCG, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
| | - David T Blake
- Department of Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
| | - Christos Constantinidis
- Department of Neurobiology & Anatomy, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA; Neuroscience Program, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA; Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA.
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22
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Vijayraghavan S, Everling S. Neuromodulation of Persistent Activity and Working Memory Circuitry in Primate Prefrontal Cortex by Muscarinic Receptors. Front Neural Circuits 2021; 15:648624. [PMID: 33790746 PMCID: PMC8005543 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2021.648624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2021] [Accepted: 02/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuromodulation by acetylcholine plays a vital role in shaping the physiology and functions of cerebral cortex. Cholinergic neuromodulation influences brain-state transitions, controls the gating of cortical sensory stimulus responses, and has been shown to influence the generation and maintenance of persistent activity in prefrontal cortex. Here we review our current understanding of the role of muscarinic cholinergic receptors in primate prefrontal cortex during its engagement in the performance of working memory tasks. We summarize the localization of muscarinic receptors in prefrontal cortex, review the effects of muscarinic neuromodulation on arousal, working memory and cognitive control tasks, and describe the effects of muscarinic M1 receptor stimulation and blockade on the generation and maintenance of persistent activity of prefrontal neurons encoding working memory representations. Recent studies describing the pharmacological effects of M1 receptors on prefrontal persistent activity demonstrate the heterogeneity of muscarinic actions and delineate unexpected modulatory effects discovered in primate prefrontal cortex when compared with studies in rodents. Understanding the underlying mechanisms by which muscarinic receptors regulate prefrontal cognitive control circuitry will inform the search of muscarinic-based therapeutic targets in the treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susheel Vijayraghavan
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - Stefan Everling
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada.,Robarts Research Institute, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
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23
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Bakker C, Tasker T, Liptrot J, Hart EP, Klaassen ES, Prins S, van der Doef TF, Brown GA, Brown A, Congreve M, Weir M, Marshall FH, Cross DM, Groeneveld GJ, Nathan PJ. First-in-man study to investigate safety, pharmacokinetics and exploratory pharmacodynamics of HTL0018318, a novel M 1 -receptor partial agonist for the treatment of dementias. Br J Clin Pharmacol 2021; 87:2945-2955. [PMID: 33351971 PMCID: PMC8359307 DOI: 10.1111/bcp.14710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2020] [Revised: 12/09/2020] [Accepted: 12/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
AIMS HTL0018318 is a selective M1 receptor partial agonist currently under development for the symptomatic treatment of cognitive and behavioural symptoms in Alzheimer's disease and other dementias. We investigated safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics and exploratory pharmacodynamics (PD) of HTL0018318 following single ascending doses. METHODS This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study in 40 healthy younger adult and 57 healthy elderly subjects, investigated oral doses of 1-35 mg HTL0018318. Pharmacodynamic assessments were performed using a battery of neurocognitive tasks and electrophysiological measurements. Cerebrospinal fluid concentrations of HTL0018318 and food effects on pharmacokinetics of HTL0018318 were investigated in an open label and partial cross-over design in 14 healthy subjects. RESULTS Pharmacokinetics of HTL0018318 were well-characterized showing dose proportional increases in exposure from 1-35 mg. Single doses of HTL0018318 were associated with mild dose-related adverse events of low incidence in both younger adult and elderly subjects. The most frequently reported cholinergic AEs included hyperhidrosis and increases in blood pressure up to 10.3 mmHg in younger adults (95% CI [4.2-16.3], 35-mg dose) and up to 11.9 mmHg in elderly subjects (95% CI [4.9-18.9], 15-mg dose). There were no statistically significant effects on cognitive function but the study was not powered to detect small to moderate effect sizes of clinical relevance. CONCLUSION HTL0018318 showed well-characterized pharmacokinetics and following single doses were generally well tolerated in the dose range studied. These provide encouraging data in support of the development for HTL0018318 for Alzheimer's disease and other dementias.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Ellen P Hart
- Centre for Human Drug Research (CDHR), Leiden, Netherlands
| | | | - Samantha Prins
- Centre for Human Drug Research (CDHR), Leiden, Netherlands
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Geert Jan Groeneveld
- Centre for Human Drug Research (CDHR), Leiden, Netherlands.,Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Pradeep J Nathan
- Sosei Heptares, Cambridge, UK.,Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, UK.,School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Australia
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24
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Galvin VC, Yang S, Lowet AS, Datta D, Duque A, Arnsten AFT, Wang M. M1 receptors interacting with NMDAR enhance delay-related neuronal firing and improve working memory performance. CURRENT RESEARCH IN NEUROBIOLOGY 2021; 2. [PMID: 35098156 PMCID: PMC8794314 DOI: 10.1016/j.crneur.2021.100016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The recurrent excitatory circuits in dlPFC underlying working memory are known to require activation of glutamatergic NMDA receptors (NMDAR). The neurons in these circuits also rely on acetylcholine to maintain persistent activity, with evidence for actions at both nicotinic α7 receptors and muscarinic M1 receptors (M1R). It is known that nicotinic α7 receptors interact with NMDAR in these circuits, but the interactions between M1R and NMDAR on dlPFC neuronal activity are unknown. Here, we investigated whether M1Rs contribute to the permissive effects of ACh in dlPFC circuitry underlying working memory via interactions with NMDA receptors. We tested interactions between M1Rs and NMDARs in vivo on single neuron activity in rhesus macaques performing a working memory task, as well as on working memory behavior in rodents following infusion of M1R and NMDAR compounds into mPFC. We report that M1R antagonists block the enhancing effects of NMDA application, consistent with M1R permissive actions. Conversely, M1R positive allosteric modulators prevented the detrimental effects of NMDAR blockade in single neurons in dlPFC and on working memory performance in rodents. These data support an interaction between M1R and NMDARs in working memory circuitry in both primates and rats, and suggest M1Rs contribute to the permissive actions of ACh in primate dlPFC. These results are consistent with recent data suggesting that M1R agonists may be helpful in the treatment of schizophrenia, a cognitive disorder associated with NMDAR dysfunction. Working memory-related persistent firing in primate prefrontal cortex relies on NMDAR. Unlike classic circuits, NMDAR transmission requires permissive acetylcholine actions. Muscarinic M1R blockade prevents the excitatory effects of NMDA on neuronal firing. M1R stimulation averts the harmful effects of NMDAR blockade on cell firing and memory.
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25
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Lu J, Zhang C, Lv J, Zhu X, Jiang X, Lu W, Lu Y, Tang Z, Wang J, Shen X. Antiallergic drug desloratadine as a selective antagonist of 5HT 2A receptor ameliorates pathology of Alzheimer's disease model mice by improving microglial dysfunction. Aging Cell 2021; 20:e13286. [PMID: 33369003 PMCID: PMC7811850 DOI: 10.1111/acel.13286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2020] [Revised: 09/19/2020] [Accepted: 10/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressively neurodegenerative disease characterized by cognitive deficits and alteration of personality and behavior. As yet, there is no efficient treatment for AD. 5HT2A receptor (5HT2A R) is a subtype of 5HT2 receptor belonging to the serotonin receptor family, and its antagonists have been clinically used as antipsychotics to relieve psychopathy. Here, we discovered that clinically first-line antiallergic drug desloratadine (DLT) functioned as a selective antagonist of 5HT2A R and efficiently ameliorated pathology of APP/PS1 mice. The underlying mechanism has been intensively investigated by assay against APP/PS1 mice with selective 5HT2A R knockdown in the brain treated by adeno-associated virus (AAV)-ePHP-si-5HT2A R. DLT reduced amyloid plaque deposition by promoting microglial Aβ phagocytosis and degradation, and ameliorated innate immune response by polarizing microglia to an anti-inflammatory phenotype. It stimulated autophagy process and repressed neuroinflammation through 5HT2A R/cAMP/PKA/CREB/Sirt1 pathway, and activated glucocorticoid receptor (GR) nuclear translocation to upregulate the transcriptions of phagocytic receptors TLR2 and TLR4 in response to microglial phagocytosis stimulation. Together, our work has highly supported that 5HT2A R antagonism might be a promising therapeutic strategy for AD and highlighted the potential of DLT in the treatment of this disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Lu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Pharmacology and Safety Evaluation of Chinese Materia Medica and State Key Laboratory Cultivation Base for TCM Quality and Efficacy Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine Nanjing China
| | - Chuzhao Zhang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Pharmacology and Safety Evaluation of Chinese Materia Medica and State Key Laboratory Cultivation Base for TCM Quality and Efficacy Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine Nanjing China
| | - Jianlu Lv
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Pharmacology and Safety Evaluation of Chinese Materia Medica and State Key Laboratory Cultivation Base for TCM Quality and Efficacy Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine Nanjing China
| | - Xialin Zhu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Pharmacology and Safety Evaluation of Chinese Materia Medica and State Key Laboratory Cultivation Base for TCM Quality and Efficacy Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine Nanjing China
| | - Xingwu Jiang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences East China Normal University Shanghai China
| | - Weiqiang Lu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences East China Normal University Shanghai China
| | - Yin Lu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Pharmacology and Safety Evaluation of Chinese Materia Medica and State Key Laboratory Cultivation Base for TCM Quality and Efficacy Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine Nanjing China
| | - Zongxiang Tang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Pharmacology and Safety Evaluation of Chinese Materia Medica and State Key Laboratory Cultivation Base for TCM Quality and Efficacy Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine Nanjing China
| | - Jiaying Wang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Pharmacology and Safety Evaluation of Chinese Materia Medica and State Key Laboratory Cultivation Base for TCM Quality and Efficacy Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine Nanjing China
| | - Xu Shen
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Pharmacology and Safety Evaluation of Chinese Materia Medica and State Key Laboratory Cultivation Base for TCM Quality and Efficacy Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine Nanjing China
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26
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Effects of muscarinic M 1 receptor stimulation on reinforcing and neurochemical effects of cocaine in rats. Neuropsychopharmacology 2020; 45:1994-2002. [PMID: 32344426 PMCID: PMC7547714 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-020-0684-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2020] [Revised: 04/16/2020] [Accepted: 04/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Cocaine addiction is a chronic illness characterized by maladaptive drug-induced neuroplastic changes that confer lasting vulnerability to relapse. Over several weeks we observed the effects of the M1 receptor-selective agonist VU0364572 in adult male rats that self-administer cocaine in a cocaine vs. food choice procedure. The drug showed unusual long-lasting effects, as rats gradually stopped self-administering cocaine, reallocating behavior towards the food reinforcer. The effect lasted as long as tested and at least 4 weeks. To begin to elucidate how VU0364572 modulates cocaine self-administration, we then examined its long-term effects using dual-probe in vivo dopamine and glutamate microdialysis in nucleus accumbens and medial prefrontal cortex, and ex vivo striatal dopamine reuptake. Microdialysis revealed marked decreases in cocaine-induced dopamine and glutamate outflow 4 weeks after VU0364572 treatment, without significant changes in dopamine uptake function. These lasting and marked effects of M1 receptor stimulation reinforce our interest in this target as potential treatment of cocaine addiction. M1 receptors are known to modulate medium spiny neuron responses to corticostriatal glutamatergic signaling acutely, and we hypothesize that VU0364572 may oppose the addiction-related effects of cocaine by causing lasting changes in this system.
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Biperiden Selectively Impairs Verbal Episodic Memory in a Dose- and Time-Dependent Manner in Healthy Subjects. J Clin Psychopharmacol 2020; 40:30-37. [PMID: 31834098 DOI: 10.1097/jcp.0000000000001157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE/BACKGROUND Biperiden is a muscarinic antagonist that produces memory impairments without impairing attention or motor functions in healthy subjects. It has been suggested that a biperiden-induced memory deficit could model age- and dementia-related memory impairments. The goal of the current study was to determine the dose- and time-dependent effects of biperiden on cognition in healthy volunteers. METHODS/PROCEDURES Twenty-one healthy volunteers participated in a placebo-controlled, 3-way, crossover study. After a baseline test, cognitive performance was tested at 3 time points after a single dose of biperiden 2 or 4 mg, or placebo. Episodic memory was measured using a 15-word verbal learning task (VLT). Furthermore, n-back tasks, a sustained attention to response task and a reaction time task were used, as well as subjective alertness and a side effects questionnaire. In addition, blood serum values and physiological measures were taken. FINDINGS/RESULTS Biperiden decreased the number of words recalled in immediate and delayed recall of the VLT 90 minutes after drug intake. A dose-dependent impairment was found for the delayed recall, whereas the immediate recall was equally impaired by the 2 doses. Biperiden did not affect the performance on the VLT 4 hours after administration. Performance in the n-back task and the sustained attention to response task were not affected by biperiden at any time point. Both doses were well tolerated as reported side effects were mild at Tmax and were minimal at the other time points. IMPLICATIONS/CONCLUSIONS Biperiden exerts effects on episodic memory without negatively affecting other cognitive performance and behavioral measures that were assessed in this study. The data provide further evidence that biperiden has selective effects on cognition, even after a high dose.
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Galvin VC, Yang ST, Paspalas CD, Yang Y, Jin LE, Datta D, Morozov YM, Lightbourne TC, Lowet AS, Rakic P, Arnsten AFT, Wang M. Muscarinic M1 Receptors Modulate Working Memory Performance and Activity via KCNQ Potassium Channels in the Primate Prefrontal Cortex. Neuron 2020; 106:649-661.e4. [PMID: 32197063 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2020.02.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2019] [Revised: 01/21/2020] [Accepted: 02/25/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Working memory relies on the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC), where microcircuits of pyramidal neurons enable persistent firing in the absence of sensory input, maintaining information through recurrent excitation. This activity relies on acetylcholine, although the molecular mechanisms for this dependence are not thoroughly understood. This study investigated the role of muscarinic M1 receptors (M1Rs) in the dlPFC using iontophoresis coupled with single-unit recordings from aging monkeys with naturally occurring cholinergic depletion. We found that M1R stimulation produced an inverted-U dose response on cell firing and behavioral performance when given systemically to aged monkeys. Immunoelectron microscopy localized KCNQ isoforms (Kv7.2, Kv7.3, and Kv7.5) on layer III dendrites and spines, similar to M1Rs. Iontophoretic manipulation of KCNQ channels altered cell firing and reversed the effects of M1R compounds, suggesting that KCNQ channels are one mechanism for M1R actions in the dlPFC. These results indicate that M1Rs may be an appropriate target to treat cognitive disorders with cholinergic alterations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronica C Galvin
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Sheng Tao Yang
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | | | - Yang Yang
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Lu E Jin
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Dibyadeep Datta
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Yury M Morozov
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Taber C Lightbourne
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Adam S Lowet
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Pasko Rakic
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Amy F T Arnsten
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Min Wang
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA.
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Rescuing the attentional performance of rats with cholinergic losses by the M1 positive allosteric modulator TAK-071. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2020; 237:137-153. [PMID: 31620809 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-019-05354-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2019] [Accepted: 08/15/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Loss of basal forebrain cholinergic neurons contributes to the severity of the cognitive decline in age-related dementia and, in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD), to impairments in gait and balance and the resulting risks for falls. Contrasting with the extensive evidence indicating an essential role of cholinergic activity in mediating cognitive, specifically attentional abilities, treatment with conventional acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (AChEIs) has not fulfilled the promise of efficacy of pro-cholinergic treatments. OBJECTIVES Here, we investigated the potential usefulness of a muscarinic M1 positive allosteric modulator (PAM) in an animal model of cholinergic loss-induced impairments in attentional performance. Given evidence indicating that fast, transient cholinergic signaling mediates the detection of cues in attentional contexts, we hypothesized that a M1 PAM amplifies such transient signaling and thereby rescues attentional performance. RESULTS Rats performed an operant sustained attention task (SAT), including in the presence of a distractor (dSAT) and during a post-distractor (post-dSAT) period. The post-dSAT period served to assess the capacity for recovering performance following a disruptive event. Basal forebrain infusions of the cholino-specific immunotoxin 192 IgG-saporin impaired SAT performance, and greater cholinergic losses predicted lower post-dSAT performance. Administration of TAK-071 (0.1, 0.3 mg/kg, p.o., administered over 6-day blocks) improved the performance of all rats during the post-dSAT period (main effect of dose). Drug-induced improvement of post-dSAT performance was relatively greater in lesioned rats, irrespective of sex, but also manifested in female control rats. TAK-071 primarily improved perceptual sensitivity (d') in lesioned rats and facilitated the adoption of a more liberal response bias (B˝D) in all female rats. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that TAK-071 may benefit the attentional performance of patients with partial cholinergic losses and specifically in situations that tax top-down, or goal-driven, attentional control.
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Abstract
The prefrontal cortex underlies our high order cognitive abilities and is the target of projections from many neuromodulatory nuclei. The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex is particularly critical for rule representation and working memory, or the ability to hold information "in mind" in the absence of sensory input. Emerging evidence supports a prominent and permissive role for acetylcholine in these excitatory circuits, through actions at cholinergic nicotinic receptors. Here we review the involvement of acetylcholine in working memory via actions at nicotinic receptors.
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Lobentanzer S, Hanin G, Klein J, Soreq H. Integrative Transcriptomics Reveals Sexually Dimorphic Control of the Cholinergic/Neurokine Interface in Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder. Cell Rep 2019; 29:764-777.e5. [PMID: 31618642 PMCID: PMC6899527 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2019.09.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2018] [Revised: 07/26/2019] [Accepted: 09/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
RNA sequencing analyses are often limited to identifying lowest p value transcripts, which does not address polygenic phenomena. To overcome this limitation, we developed an integrative approach that combines large-scale transcriptomic meta-analysis of patient brain tissues with single-cell sequencing data of CNS neurons, short RNA sequencing of human male- and female-originating cell lines, and connectomics of transcription factor and microRNA interactions with perturbed transcripts. We used this pipeline to analyze cortical transcripts of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder patients. Although these pathologies show massive transcriptional parallels, their clinically well-known sexual dimorphisms remain unexplained. Our method reveals the differences between afflicted men and women and identifies disease-affected pathways of cholinergic transmission and gp130-family neurokine controllers of immune function interlinked by microRNAs. This approach may open additional perspectives for seeking biomarkers and therapeutic targets in other transmitter systems and diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Lobentanzer
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, Goethe University, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Geula Hanin
- The Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Science and the Life Sciences Institute, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9190401, Israel
| | - Jochen Klein
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, Goethe University, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Hermona Soreq
- The Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Science and the Life Sciences Institute, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9190401, Israel.
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Cell class-specific modulation of attentional signals by acetylcholine in macaque frontal eye field. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 116:20180-20189. [PMID: 31527242 PMCID: PMC6778228 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1905413116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Attention is critical to high-level cognition, and attentional deficits are a hallmark of cognitive dysfunction. A key transmitter for attentional control is acetylcholine, but its cellular actions in attention-controlling areas remain poorly understood. Here we delineate how muscarinic and nicotinic receptors affect basic neuronal excitability and attentional control signals in different cell types in macaque frontal eye field. We found that broad spiking and narrow spiking cells both require muscarinic and nicotinic receptors for normal excitability, thereby affecting ongoing or stimulus-driven activity. Attentional control signals depended on muscarinic, not nicotinic receptors in broad spiking cells, while they depended on both muscarinic and nicotinic receptors in narrow spiking cells. Cluster analysis revealed that muscarinic and nicotinic effects on attentional control signals were highly selective even for different subclasses of narrow spiking cells and of broad spiking cells. These results demonstrate that cholinergic receptors are critical to establish attentional control signals in the frontal eye field in a cell type-specific manner.
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Baxter MG, Crimins JL. Acetylcholine Receptor Stimulation for Cognitive Enhancement: Better the Devil You Know? Neuron 2019; 98:1064-1066. [PMID: 29953868 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2018.06.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Drug treatments to improve memory focus on enhancing acetylcholine. However, Vijayraghavan and colleagues (2018) show that direct stimulation of the M1 muscarinic acetylcholine receptor adversely affected neuronal activity in prefrontal cortex related to working memory for behavioral rules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark G Baxter
- Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA.
| | - Johanna L Crimins
- Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA
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Jadhav S, Avila J, Schöll M, Kovacs GG, Kövari E, Skrabana R, Evans LD, Kontsekova E, Malawska B, de Silva R, Buee L, Zilka N. A walk through tau therapeutic strategies. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2019; 7:22. [PMID: 30767766 PMCID: PMC6376692 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-019-0664-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 182] [Impact Index Per Article: 36.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2018] [Accepted: 01/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Tau neuronal and glial pathologies drive the clinical presentation of Alzheimer's disease and related human tauopathies. There is a growing body of evidence indicating that pathological tau species can travel from cell to cell and spread the pathology through the brain. Throughout the last decade, physiological and pathological tau have become attractive targets for AD therapies. Several therapeutic approaches have been proposed, including the inhibition of protein kinases or protein-3-O-(N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminyl)-L-serine/threonine Nacetylglucosaminyl hydrolase, the inhibition of tau aggregation, active and passive immunotherapies, and tau silencing by antisense oligonucleotides. New tau therapeutics, across the board, have demonstrated the ability to prevent or reduce tau lesions and improve either cognitive or motor impairment in a variety of animal models developing neurofibrillary pathology. The most advanced strategy for the treatment of human tauopathies remains immunotherapy, which has already reached the clinical stage of drug development. Tau vaccines or humanised antibodies target a variety of tau species either in the intracellular or extracellular spaces. Some of them recognise the amino-terminus or carboxy-terminus, while others display binding abilities to the proline-rich area or microtubule binding domains. The main therapeutic foci in existing clinical trials are on Alzheimer's disease, progressive supranuclear palsy and non-fluent primary progressive aphasia. Tau therapy offers a new hope for the treatment of many fatal brain disorders. First efficacy data from clinical trials will be available by the end of this decade.
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Affiliation(s)
- Santosh Jadhav
- Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dubravska 9, 845 10, Bratislava, Slovakia
- AXON Neuroscience R&D Services SE, Dvorakovo nabrezie 10, 811 02, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Jesus Avila
- Centro de Biologia Molecular "Severo Ochoa", Consejo Superior de Investigaciones, Cientificas, Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, C/ Nicolas Cabrera, 1. Campus de Cantoblanco, 28049, Madrid, Spain
- Networking Research Center on Neurodegenerative, Diseases (CIBERNED), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Michael Schöll
- Wallenberg Centre for Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of, Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Clinical Memory Research Unit, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden
- Dementia Research Centre, University College London, London, UK
| | - Gabor G Kovacs
- Institute of Neurology, Medical University of Vienna, AKH 4J, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, 1097, Vienna, Austria
| | - Enikö Kövari
- Department of Mental Health and Psychiatry, University Hospitals of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Rostislav Skrabana
- AXON Neuroscience R&D Services SE, Dvorakovo nabrezie 10, 811 02, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Lewis D Evans
- Gurdon Institute and Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1QN, UK
| | - Eva Kontsekova
- AXON Neuroscience R&D Services SE, Dvorakovo nabrezie 10, 811 02, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Barbara Malawska
- Department of Physicochemical Drug Analysis, Faculty of Pharmacy, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Medyczna 9, 30-688, Cracow, Poland
| | - Rohan de Silva
- Reta Lila Weston Institute and Department of Clinical and Movement Neurosciences, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, 1 Wakefield Street, London, WC1N 1PJ, UK
| | - Luc Buee
- Universite of Lille, Inserm, CHU-Lille, UMRS1172, Alzheimer & Tauopathies, Place de Verdun, 59045, Lille cedex, France.
| | - Norbert Zilka
- AXON Neuroscience R&D Services SE, Dvorakovo nabrezie 10, 811 02, Bratislava, Slovakia.
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Kamigaki T. Prefrontal circuit organization for executive control. Neurosci Res 2018; 140:23-36. [PMID: 30227166 DOI: 10.1016/j.neures.2018.08.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2018] [Revised: 08/21/2018] [Accepted: 08/29/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
The essential role of executive control is to select the most appropriate behavior among other candidates depending on the sensory information (exogenous information) and on the subject's internal state (endogenous information). Here I review series of the evidence implicating that the rodent prefrontal cortex (PFC) evaluates and compares the expected outcome for candidate actions that are automatically primed by exogenous and endogenous information, and selects the most appropriate action while inhibiting the others, with different PFC subregions contributing to distinct aspects of the computation via differential recruitments of the distributed networks. The recurrent nature of the PFC networks further facilitates the computation by integrating bottom-up signals over a long timescale. I also overview the local circuit organization in the PFC, where vasoactive intestinal peptide-positive (VIP) GABAergic interneurons are tightly linked with the cholinergic system and play significant roles in regulating executive control signals. The empirical evidence inspires the disinhibitory module hypothesis of the PFC organization that a group of pyramidal neurons and interneurons forms a disinhibitory module with similar task-variable selectivity in the PFC, and long-range inputs and neuromodulations in these modules exert a distributed gain modulation of the ongoing executive control signals by adjusting VIP neuron activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tsukasa Kamigaki
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, United States.
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